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Microsoft updates Windows 11 with improved Copilot, Widgets, and more

Microsoft is starting to roll out a new update to Windows 11 that includes a whole host of improvements and new built-in features. Copilot in Windows 11 is getting more options to control your PC as part of this update, alongside a new Generative Erase option in Photos, Voice Shortcuts for accessibility, improved Snap layouts, changes to the Widgets system, and more.

While the Windows 11 update is available starting today, Microsoft says not all features will be enabled straight away. Copilot’s new options will start rolling out in late March, enabling new skills like being able to ask the AI chatbot to enable the battery saver mode or to launch accessibility features like Narrator or Magnifier. Copilot will also be able to show available Wi-Fi networks, storage space, and even empty your recycling bin.

More AI-powered features are also coming to the built-in Photos app. A new Generative Erase feature will let you remove unwanted objects from a photo by simply selecting and deleting them. It’s similar to the magical AI selective photo erasers found on Google and Samsung devices. Clipchamp, Microsoft’s video editor, is also gaining the ability to remove awkward silences from a video.

Microsoft is also improving the Widgets and built-in Snap layouts features in Windows 11. Widgets have always been useful but marred by Microsoft’s feed of junk news from MSN. Now, you can finally disable the “Microsoft Start” feed, and the Windows Widgets board is also interoperable as part of Microsoft’s Digital Markets Act commitments to the European Commission. That means Google could build a plug-in for the Widgets board that shows content from Google News, for example.

The Snap feature in Windows 11 that makes it easy to resize app windows is getting smarter in this update, so it will now remember your frequently snapped apps and automatically suggest layouts.

If you own a Windows-powered tablet that has a stylus, this latest Windows 11 update also includes the ability to write directly into text boxes across the OS. This includes Windows Ink support in apps like Photos, Paint, WhatsApp, and more.

Posted on: 3/1/2024 5:00:45 AM


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